Under the slogan "UAE Innovates"

As part of the United Arab Emirates University’s Innovation Week, the Intellectual Property & Patents Unit of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Graduate Studies Office held the second annual "Intellectual Property & Technology Transfer" Symposium, on Monday, November 21, 2016, at the male College of Information Technology Building. The sympoisium took place in the presence of Prof. Ghaleb Al Hadrami, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Graduate Studies, and Richard C. Litman, an international legal expert in the field of protection of intellectual property and patents from the Washington, USA firm ‘Becker & Poliakoff’ for legal consulting on patents and technology startups, a group of specialists in the field of intellectual property and technology commercialization, and students of the University.

Prof. Ghaleb Al Hadrami explained: "This symposium comes within the vision of the national university, which seeks leadership and excellence in higher education and scientific research at the regional and international levels, in order to support the initiatives of the UAE leadership to move towards a knowledge-based economy, according to the National Innovation Agenda 2021 announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, as part of the programs and events organized by the United Arab Emirates University in the UAE Innovation Week. These events enhance the protection of scientific production for researchers and innovators, commercialize the emerging technology, and transform creative and scientific ideas and applied research into new products and services in a safe environment that stimulates creativity and innovation in the State, through the protection of these patents and inventions by innovators and researchers in the United Arab Emirates University. This annual symposium aims to promote awareness about intellectual property rights, and shed light on the global best practices for technology commercialization in academic and industrial fields.

Mr Richard C. Litman presented the best practices in the marketing of new inventions and the establishment of start-ups as incubators of ideas and businesses. He spoke about how to attract investors, venture capitalists, and industrial companies to invest in the ideas and inventions produced by universities. Mr. Litman called on the students of the United Arab Emirates University to invest in their own ideas which will reinforce the transition to the knowledge economy to achieve scientific development in the innovation community.

Mr. Litman reviewed the regional and international systems for patents and intellectual property offices, and highlighted the protection of researchers’ rights from the legal aspect, and the consequent commitments and successes in transforming new ideas into investments that are worth millions of dollars. He also described the methods of patent registration, and the American registration standards and compared them with the various international standards in Europe, Asia and the Arabian Gulf.

For his part, Dr. Mahmoud Al Ahmad, Associate Professor at the College of Engineering at the United Arab Emirates University, talked about his experience and presented ten patents that have been registered at the University through the international patent offices. These patents are focused in the field of bioengineering and medical applications, in order to find solutions that contribute to the health care development.

Prof. Basel Al Sayed, Associate Professor of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the United Arab Emirates University, gave a presentation on his experience in registering seven patents, which the United Arab Emirates University registered and protected, in the areas of electrical engineering and renewable energy applications and which contribute to reducing dependence on oil and creating environmental solutions across the systems and applications of alternative energy projects.

The purpose of presenting these local, regional, and international experiences through this scientific symposium was to encourage students and researchers of the United Arab Emirates University to turn their ideas and scientific research and applied innovation into products and services that promote innovation and scientific competitiveness to serve the community. This contributes to the knowledge economy through achieving the University’s vision in its scientific and practical contributions to the national plan, so as to achieve sustainable development.